It has something in common with Gwyneth Paltrow—sliding doors—and it'll bring the European MPV aesthetic to American mothers of young children—the only Americans who will fit in the 7-seater's third row. Actually, it's a 5+2, but who's counting?

That means the Ford C-Max is mostly a five seater with room for cargo—a novel concept for an MPV. Not only that, Ford's C-Max will debut the company's 1.6-liter Ecoboost engine among North American C-class vehicles, before it migrates down the line.

Another clever feature is a hands-free rear liftgate, activated by an underbody-mounted motion sensor. Kick a sensor under the rear bumper and the rear tail lifts, as long as you've got the fob on you. Sneaky stuff. Not only that, but Ford notes that its dimensions are similar to those of the original minivans offered in North America back in the '80s. Blinded with science again.